Legacy of a new generation

Growing up African-American in Midland in the 1960s and 1970s was a "very unique experience," said one of the organizers of a new exhibit at the Midland County History Center.

"Their experience was so different because the community had no experience with people of color," said Betty Jones, a Midland resident and sociologist whose two sons are among those profiled in the exhibit, "Legacy for a New Generation: The African-American Youth Experience in Midland."

The exhibit opened Wednesday at the history center, 3417 W. Main St., and continues through March 15. A free opening reception, including entertainment by the ACT-SO Jazz Ensemble, will be held Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in the atrium of the history center.

Jones and her husband, S. Preston Jones, moved to Midland in 1968 as The Dow Chemical Co. recruited African-Americans.

Their son Anthony, a 1983 Midland High graduate, said his growing-up years were "pretty good." Now 43, he lives in Grand Rapids and is the marketing manager for a retirement community.

Anthony Jones said he got a "great education" and noted both positive and negative school experiences.

"Some teachers were very biased or naive or prejudiced and some of them didn't even know they were coming across as prejudiced," he said. "(But) I had some really, really good teachers that were very supportive and treated me no different than any other student."

The new exhibit is a follow-up to one last year that focused on the parents. Betty Jones has written a book about that generation, "Stories of My People: A Celebration of the African-American Community in Midland, Michigan," which can be purchased at the history center.

The exhibit includes photographs, documents, artifacts and first-person accounts, including audio clips.

"In all fairness, I think the community responded very positively, but we had a lot to learn and they had a lot to learn," Betty Jones said.

Anthony said a particular challenge arose in sports events, when the Midland teams would play against other schools with predominantly African-American student bodies. Some of the athletes from those schools would sometimes make it very uncomfortable for the African-American students from Midland, he said.

"When we would play sports against other schools, we felt like we were outsiders with both communities," he said. "At times we felt like double outsiders."

Scott Kelly, a 1987 Midland High graduate, moved with his family to Midland in 1978, when he was entering fourth grade. Kelly, now 39, moved back to Midland several years ago and is a sales manager with GMAC Insurance.

He said he got a "very good quality education … that opened up some doors and opportunities to attend college."

Kelly said that growing up in mostly white Midland, it took him a while to find out about his culture and heritage.

"It was a little bit of a tough time in that I was different from everybody else. I had to work extra hard to fit in," he said, adding that he experienced a kind of "identity crisis" when he went away to school and began to learn more about the wider world.

He said Midland has changed considerably since his teen years, noting that there is now "a good mix" of cultures. "The mix itself has increased … Being exposed to that and having that mix in the population is a positive thing. My hope is really that we can continue to grow this diversity."

Admission to Heritage Park, which includes admission to the exhibit, is $5 for adults and $3 for children, or free to Midland County Historical Society members. On Feb. 22, a "town hall" event will take place at the Midland Center for the Arts Lecture Room featuring five area young people discussing issues raised by the exhibit.